Gordon Parks. Dorothea Lange. Arthur Rothstein. Marion Post Wolcott. Between 1935 and 1944, these men and women, and dozens of other photographers, captured images of everyday America that are a treasure for historical researchers. Have you used their work?

 

Researcher Bev Wright has a legal background. Now that she’s pursuing history, she wonders how the practices of one field applies to the other:

 

Our recent Facebook discussion of the Wayback Machine triggered the inevitable question:  “Just how DO we cite that source?”

Is a website a publication? We've had two decades of debate as to whether a website is a publication or a "library"—and, by extension, how we should cite what we find online. EE's position has made it simple to cite materials ...

Trust. That’s such a comforting word. It relieves so much stress. It lifts the burden of being always vigilant, the angst of worry whether something or someone will betray you, or the fear of making a wrong decision.

In historical research, the reality we deal with is 183 degrees different from the rose garden we’d prefer to work and live in. For us, trust is naïve. Trust creates problems of its own. Today’s three images demonstrate that, using an 1800 census record from Greenville County, SC.

Family traditions are like onions. They have a core of truth, but we have to peel back the layers to get to that core. Layers of confusion, embroidery, and even shame. Yesterday we looked at five reasons why family stories have strayed from what Grandma would call the “straight and narrow.” Today, we offer a six-step game plan that will help you uncover that core of truth in your family stories that provide a path into your past. ...

Tradition is not Gospel. It is not religion. We can’t accept it on faith alone. Oral history goes astray for at least five reasons ...

We’ve all heard the rule: The first time we cite a source, in a reference note, we cite all details about the source. After that, each time we cite the same source, we use a short form. That’s the rule. But every rule has exceptions. Sometimes, rules just don’t work.

Researchers are always cautioned to use the best sources possible. Ideally, we’re told, that means original records created by informants with primary (first-hand) information. That guidance is sound. But when a project involves hundreds or thousands of documents ...